Turkiye

Türkiye is a country of extraordinary breadth — straddling two continents, spanning multiple climatic zones and carrying a history that encompasses the Byzantine and Ottoman empires, ancient Greek civilisation and Hittite kingdoms going back 4,000 years. Istanbul alone could occupy a week of exploration: the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, the Topkapi Palace, the Grand Bazaar and the extraordinary Bosphorus strait that divides Europe from Asia are all essential, and together they make Istanbul one of the world’s truly great cities.

Cappadocia in central Anatolia is unlike anywhere else on earth — a landscape of soft volcanic tuff carved over millennia by wind and water into fairy chimneys, cave churches and underground cities. The most iconic experience here is a hot air balloon flight at dawn, drifting silently above the valleys of Rösehir as the rising sun turns the landscape gold. Cave hotels cut directly into the rock add an extraordinary dimension to staying here.

The Aegean and Mediterranean coasts offer some of Europe’s most beautiful sailing waters and finest ancient ruins. Ephesus, once the second-largest city in the Roman Empire, is magnificently preserved. The turquoise coast from Bodrum to Antalya — known as the Turkish Riviera — combines dramatic rocky coastline with charming harbour towns like Kas, Ölüdeniz, Göcek and Kalkan, each beloved by gulet sailors and beach lovers alike. Pamukkale’s calcite terraces and thermal pools, the ruins of Troy and the spectacular coastline around the Datca Peninsula add further reasons to explore.

Turkish food is one of the great culinary traditions of the world: meze, fresh seafood, slow-cooked lamb, exceptional breads and the extraordinary variety of Turkish breakfast. Türkiye is best visited April to June or September to October.